


You Don't Know How Lovely You Are

by bowlingfornerds



Series: favourite fics [17]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blind Clarke, Blindness, F/M, Fluff, Library
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 12:47:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6116932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bowlingfornerds/pseuds/bowlingfornerds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You’re blind and at the library looking for Braille books but we don’t have any and you’re just really sad about it so I offer to start reading to you and now, every day you come in and I read to you”</p><p>Bellamy works at a library, and Clarke comes in, blind and hoping for Braille books. Bellamy is also good at reading out loud.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Don't Know How Lovely You Are

**Author's Note:**

> Title from 'The Scientist'.  
> Thought I should write some fluff, because it's been at least (probably over) a week since my last fic. As always, no editing - I barely even read it through after writing.
> 
> Good luck and enjoy.

Sure, working in a library wasn’t Bellamy’s dream job. But, it paid the bills, he got to spend his days surrounded by books, and he actually enjoyed doing the readings for the kids every Thursday. He was twenty four and just trying to pay his way through his degree – working in a library was a decent way to do that, if he added on the other two jobs he worked.

The library was usually pretty quiet – it was largely used just by kids, and a couple of the students of Ark U, just like him, who needed some place quiet to study that wasn’t as far away as the actual campus library. It had computers and rows, and rows of books that were ordered specifically by him and Maya, the girl who worked there too.

It was a windy Wednesday morning when the door opened. A gush of air made the poster on the wall, not hanging as well as it could, rattle, and a magazine sitting at a nearby table flip over. Two women walked in; one with caramel skin and chocolate hair, and the other pale as snow with hair like the sun. Bellamy watched them for a moment as they wandered; arms interlinked and the blonde girl not taking off her sunglasses, even though it wasn’t particularly sunny outside, either.

“I’m going to go put the returns back on the shelves,” Maya told him, stepping out from behind the counter where they sat, and moving to the cart. He nodded and she wandered off, stacks of books to place back in their proper place. A small boy and his mother came and checked out a book, and then he was back to sitting again. He’d finished his most recent essay that morning, and he _could_ be studying, but Bellamy was still drained.

Instead, he just waited for something else to happen.

And that came in the form of the two girls. The darker-skinned girl – possibly Latina, now she came closer – looking more disgruntled than the blonde girl did, dragging the latter by the arm over to the front desk and waiting as he stood up.

“Can I help?” He asked.

“Yes,” the Latina replied. “We’re looking for Braille books, but you don’t seem to have any. Where are they?” Her voice was sharp and her tone warning, as if it would be his personal fault if they didn’t have any around. Bellamy paused in thought.

“Let me just check for you,” he decided, looking over to the computer. He typed in the right key words and watched a new page load up. Bellamy automatically winced and the Latina huffed.

“You don’t have any, do you?”

“No, sorry,” Bellamy apologised. “I would have thought we’d have some, but we can-“

“See, Clarke, this is why I said we should just go to the campus library,” the Latina interrupted, looking to the blonde girl. Clarke, her named seemed to be, shook her head.

“The campus library’s really far and I’ve read all of the ones they have in stock there, I was hoping there’d be some here.” She sounded slightly dejected and Bellamy’s heart lurched for the girl, apparently blind. It made a lot of sense all of a sudden; the shades, her arm linked with the other girl’s, the stick that was poking out of her bag, as if she really didn’t like making it obvious. The other girl opened her mouth to speak again when her phone rang out. Bellamy gave her a pointed look, nodding to the sign right in front of her that asked for phones to be on silent, and she was the one who winced this time.

“Just a sec, Clarke,” the girl said, picking up her phone and walking a little way away. Clarke, on her part, reached out and gripped the counter, probably to gain her bearings.

“You know,” Bellamy suggested, and her head tilted a little in his direction. “We can order some books in if you have any you particularly want.” Clarke nodded.

“Okay, yes,” she agreed. “I’ll have a think over what books I’d like – but I was just hoping for some now.” Bellamy had an idea – he wasn’t sure if it was idiotic, or if she’d laugh in his face (probably both), but he said it before his mind had really thought it over. She was cute, she couldn’t see, and she liked stories – Bellamy was pretty sure he could help out in some way.

“If you like, the library’s pretty quiet, and I can read to you if you want?” Clarke froze a little, but Bellamy saw the corners of her lips quirk up into a smile. Her friend returned, automatically linking her arm through Clarke’s and looking down at her.

“Right, there’s nothing here – Jas phoned saying he needs me to come and fix the heating, because it’s busted again, so we should get out of here.” The blonde girl shook her head, smiling properly now. Her head was tilted slightly more towards her friend this time, and her hand continued to hold the counter.

“Actually, I was going to stick around for a little longer,” she replied.

“What for? You can’t read anything here, Clarke,” the other responded. Clarke nodded.

“I know, but the man,” she nodded in Bellamy’s vague direction. “Offered to read to me instead.” As if she knew that her friend was making a wary face, Clarke continued. “Raven, I haven’t had someone read to me in _so long_ – and besides, I can order some books here as well, and it’ll be fine.”

“Clarke, you can’t _see_ ,” her friend  - Raven – said in a low voice, and Bellamy tried to look away. “What if he’s a killer or something?”

“I’m a big girl,” Clarke reassured. “And you’re not a killer, are you…?” She nodded towards Bellamy and he realised she was asking for his name.

“Uh, Bellamy,” he replied. “Bellamy Blake, and no, I’m not.” Clarke smiled.

“See? I’m Clarke Griffin, and I’m not a killer either.”

“That’s good to know,” he told her. Her smile brightened a little at his joking tone, and she tried to face her friend again.

“Don’t worry about me, Rae,” she continued. “Just pick me up when you’ve fixed the heater?” Raven gave them both another cautious look before nodding.

“Fine,” she replied. She leant on the counter for a moment, picking up a stray pen and the form for a library card. Flipping over the paper, Raven wrote her name – Raven Reyes – and her phone number. “In case you need to get a hold of me,” she told Bellamy, with a firm nod. After a moment longer, she looked back to Clarke and kissed her cheek. “Okay, call me if you need me, I’ll be back in a few hours then, alright?”

The girls said goodbye, and a moment later, Clarke was standing there holding onto the counter with an expectant look on her face.

“Right,” she said. “This is the part where you read to me.” Bellamy stared at her, dumbfounded, for a moment, realising that she was right – that his stupid idea hadn’t sounded stupid to her at all, and that it was happening _right then_. He jolted a little, walking around the counter.

“Alright, is it cool for me to lead you to a table?” Clarke nodded, holding out her arm, and Bellamy linked his through hers in the same way she had done with Raven. He walked her to a table and pulled out her chair, guiding Clarke to sitting down. “So what book are you hoping to hear today?” He asked, moving next to her.

Clarke placed her bag on the floor by her feet, and slipped her jacket off over the back of her chair.

“If you have it, I just reached the end of Half-Blood Prince?”

“The Harry Potter book?” Bellamy questioned. She nodded.

“So Deathly Hallows is next, right?” Bellamy nodded, but realised she couldn’t see it.

“Yeah, we should have that. I’ll go get it and be back in a second?” He wandered through the library for a moment, reaching the children’s literature section. It wasn’t difficult to find the right book, and he slipped it out of the shelf. Maya was in the next row along, so he walked over to her before returning to Clarke. He quickly told her that he’d be reading to a girl at one of the tables if she needed him, and Maya smiled.

“No worries,” she replied. “It’s a library, not a ship, I can run it easily by myself.” Bellamy grinned at her for a second before he returned to Clarke, placing the book down and pulling his chair into the table a little. She’d gotten comfier; pulling one of her feet up onto the chair, and resting her chin on her knee.

“So you read the others in Braille?” Bellamy asked as he flicked through the pages to find the first one.

“Some of them,” she replied. “I usually get audio books, too – but my tablet busted so I can’t use the app right now. It’s Braille or no dice, I’m afraid.”

“I assume that makes me no dice, then,” Bellamy said with a smile. Clarke exhaled a laugh through her nose, nodding.

“I suppose so,” she agreed. Bellamy found his page, and shifted so he was comfy in his chair.

“You ready?” Clarke nodded. “Great. _Chapter One, The Dark Lord Ascending. Two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane…_ ”

-

_“’That’s Dolohov,’ said Ron. ‘I recognise him from the old wanted posters. I think the big one’s Thorfinn Rowle.’_

_‘Nevermind what they’re call!’ said Hermione a little hysterically. ‘How did they find us? What are we going to do?’_

_Somehow her panic seemed to clear Harry’s head.”_ Bellamy was so invested in the book he was reading, Clarke next to him, her arms wrapped around her legs, pulled to her chest, that he didn’t notice Raven sitting down on the other side of the table. When he did, he paused, looking up at her as she smirked.

“Your voice changes tone for each of the characters,” she pointed out, twirling her pointer finger in the air a little. Clarke glanced up at the sound of a new voice. “Time to go, Clarky,” Raven said to her. Clarke nodded with a smile, her feet finally hitting the ground again.

“Thanks for reading to me, Bellamy,” she said, her arms slipping back into her jacket sleeves. “You’re really good at it.” As Raven stood up, Clarke leaned in a little closer, lowering her voice. “I like the different voices you put on,” she grinned. Bellamy laughed, closing the book carefully and standing up.

“Thanks, Clarke,” he replied. “And it’s no problem at all – we all enjoy a little Harry Potter now and then.” Clarke stood up, her bag in her hand, and Raven helped her shift away from the table.

“Will you be working tomorrow?” she asked. Bellamy nodded, once again forgetting that she couldn’t see.

“Yeah,” he voiced. “I work every week day, ten till two.” Clarke nodded, thanking him once more and saying goodbye. Bellamy watched the two girls walk out, giggling amongst themselves, before picking up the copy of Harry Potter and slipping it behind the counter – he had a feeling she would be returning.

-

Clarke came back the very next day, just as he reached the end of the children’s reading. She sat patiently, listening to the story and waiting with a different friend than the last one he’d met. This time, she was with an Asian boy who helped her into her chair, and stood behind it, listening and watching Bellamy read; his hands on the back of Clarke’s seat.

When he finished, he spoke with the parents who wanted to talk to him, and laughed with the children who liked to hug him goodbye, before reaching Clarke.

“Hey, Clarke,” he greeted, announcing his presence. She smiled.

“So I’m not the only one you read to?”

“Ah, caught me,” Bellamy replied. “I’m read-cheating on you every Thursday.”

“You even have a schedule for your affair?” She questioned. “How did you know that organisation is a turn on for me?” Bellamy choked on air for a second as Clarke and her friend laughed. She stood up, her retractable walking stick poking out of her bag again. “Are you good to read today?”

“Y-yeah, sure,” Bellamy made out.

“Oh, and this is Monty,” Clarke introduced, spinning a little. She paused when Monty just nodded at Bellamy. “He is still there, right?” Monty laughed, his hands moving and holding her arms.

“Yeah, Clarke, still here.” She looked visibly relieved, nodding.

“Okay, well you’ll pick me up in a few hours, right?” Monty nodded, and said his goodbyes. Bellamy went and found the book and sat back down with Clarke at the same table as the day before.

“You know where we got to yesterday?” He asked. Clarke nodded and relayed the scene. “Good. _Somehow her panic seemed to clear Harry’s head._

_‘Lock the door,’ he told her, ‘and Ron, turn out the lights’…”_

-

On Friday, Clarke brought a dark-skinned man with a gentle smile, and named him as Wells, her childhood best friend. They started where they left off, at Chapter Fifteen, and she laughed when he put on the different voices.

-

Over the weekend, Bellamy finished his essays before sitting down with his sister. She lived with him, instead of in the dorms, wanting her freedom but knowing that it would cost a couple grand more to live away from home during the first year. Octavia settled into his side on the sofa, draping the blanket across his lap.

“How was work this week?” she asked. They didn’t get a lot of time to spend with each other.

“Which work?”

“Any work, all work,” she replied, her head resting on his shoulder. On the screen, the trailers for the film they’d put on were playing.

“The bar sucked, as per usual, but I got a big tip from a bachelorette party,” he told her. “The coffee shop was okay, nothing big happened there. At the library, this blind girl came in, and I’m reading to her because we don’t have any Braille books.” Octavia looked up, raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t you have audio books?” She asked.

“We’re not a well-funded library.”

“So a little kid comes in every day for you to read to her?” Bellamy shook his head.

“She’s about your age, I think,” he replied. “Maybe a little older.” Octavia gave him a dubious look, but he shrugged.

“Is she cute?” She asked next. Bellamy didn’t reply, looking straight at the screen instead. “That’s a yes,” Octavia nodded as she settled her head back on his shoulder.

-

On Monday, a fidgety boy by the name of Jasper dropped Clarke off.

“Do they take shifts or something?” Bellamy asked. Clarke nodded.

“It’s like I’m a criminal or something; I constantly need a parole officer to watch out for me.” Bellamy opened up the book at where they left off and started reading.

-

Raven turned up on Tuesday, and she wandered around the library first before leaving, after Clarke had sat down and Bellamy started reading the final chapters of the book. Clarke wanted to go to the toilet after about an hour, and Bellamy got up and escorted her there.

“Don’t worry,” she told him, as if she could _feel_ the worry radiating off of him. “I know how to use the toilet by myself.” She came back out of the bathroom with her walking stick, tapping the floor in front of her.

“You don’t use that often, do you?” He asked her, walking along by her side; her hand on his arm and her stick tapping at the ground. Clarke shook her head.

“Why be super obvious that I’m not like everybody else?” She retorted.

“You wear your shades indoors,” he reminded her. Clarke cracked a smile, and when they sat down, purposefully took her sunglasses off and placed them on the table.

Bellamy couldn’t tell what colour her eyes would have been if she weren’t blind; a milky foil was layered over her irises and Bellamy found himself heating up when he realised he was staring. He darted his eyes back to the book in front of him, and kept reading.

-

Jasper was there again on Wednesday, and this time he also stayed in the library for a while before going. When he returned and Clarke left – fresh, this time, from the first few chapters of The Hunger Games, Bellamy joined Maya at the counter.

“Does he drop her off often?” She asked, referring to Jasper. Bellamy quirked an eyebrow.

“He does sometimes,” he replied, smirking. Maya rolled her eyes at him, turning away, but even Bellamy could see her cheeks turn red.

-

They all went on like this for a while; Bellamy would read her a book and Clarke would never tell him what books she wanted ordered in Braille, even when he asked. Jasper would start dropping her off more than her other friends, and stick around until the end of their session, talking to Maya instead. He met and got to know her friends, one by one, and learnt more about her each time.

Clarke’s mother was a doctor, and her father an engineer. She liked art; the type she could feel, and art made from sounds and music, because she was definite she could see it all so clearly; that it helped her to picture the world she couldn’t reach properly. She had always been blind, but Clarke didn’t like it defining her, and her friend Lincoln had been attempting to teach her the basics of self-defence, because she liked feeling useful, _capable –_ just because her eyesight was gone, didn’t mean that she still couldn’t do things for herself.

Bellamy read to her every week day, and that was how they were. He was aware of his growing feelings for her; of the warm feeling in his stomach when she laughed and smiled – but it was just something he didn’t bring up. He never thought he would need to.

It was a Friday, a month and a bit after their first meeting that Bellamy was getting picked up by Miller and Octavia, because he didn’t have car and they were going away for the weekend. They’d finished the book, and Clarke and he were just waiting on Wells to come and pick her up, when they walked in.

The door opened and Octavia flounced in, not minding the sign about being quiet and grinning when she spotted Clarke and Bellamy at the table.

“Well, well, well,” she announced, walking over. The words on Bellamy’s lips died as he looked up. “Dearest brother Bellamy, now who is this lovely young lady?” Bellamy raised his eyebrows at his sister, and Clarke’s head moved about, trying to place where the voice was coming from.

“You’re not from the 1800s, O,” he replied. “This is Clarke, Clarke this is my sister Octavia.” Clarke smiled and Octavia smiled right back.

“Hi,” she greeted. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” Octavia sat down opposite them.

“That’s because I’m the pride and joy of his life,” she replied. “He talks about you, too.” Clarke raises her eyebrows and Bellamy tips his head back, hoping for a hole in the ground to just open up already.

“Thanks, O,” he replied.

“No worries, big bro. I’m just here to pick you up.”

“Camping trip?” Clarke asked.

“Yeah,” Bellamy said. “We can’t leave yet, though, O,” he said, addressing his sister, now. She raised her eyebrows. “We need to wait for Clarke to get picked up first.”

“I can sit here by myself for like, ten minutes,” Clarke said. “You know that, right?” Bellamy smiled.

“I do, yeah, but I’d prefer to wait with you.” Octavia made a retching sound.

“Just make out already,” she said, standing up. “I’m going to wait out in the car.” The moment Octavia had slipped out of the building, Bellamy turned back to Clarke.

“I’m sorry about her,” he sighed. Clarke just smiled.

“I like her,” she replied. “She sounds fun. And she had the same thought that I did, anyway.” He raised an eyebrow.

“And what would that be?” Clarke sat up, squaring her shoulders, and pulling a little bit of a face as she tried to imitate his sister.

“ _Just make out already_.” Bellamy sat there for a moment, frozen solid, staring at Clarke as she seemed to deflate by the second, looking more and more sheepish over her words. As she started to mumble out an apology, a redaction of her words, Bellamy slipped his hand across her cheek and into her hair.

Clarke’s words died in her throat as his lips connected with hers. For a moment, there was nothing but bright light, and then there was everything; he felt _everything_ with her. It was like roses blooming on their lips; galaxies swirling in his head, a collective sigh of relief; the moment he didn’t want to admit to himself that he was waiting for. This was the girl he was waiting for.

Slowly, he pulled back, his eyes fluttering open in time to see her do the same – milky white irises, unseeing how utterly wrecked he was. He could only hear her breathing for a second, before she spoke.

“Wow.”

“Yeah,” Bellamy agreed. “Wow.”

“Would it…” they moved away from each other, just slightly; his hand dropping from her hair. “Would it be alright if we did that again some time?” Bellamy exhaled a laugh.

“We could do that again right now, if you want,” he suggested.

Her smile could light up a room.

“I want that,” she replied. So did he.

**Author's Note:**

> What are endings  
> How do I write them
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please talk to me in the comments (I squeal at every comment, no lie) and hit the kudos button! Thanks you lovely people!
> 
> If you're wondering, I wrote a deaf Bellamy fic a few months ago [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5161391)


End file.
